The key facts

  • The first meeting of the Uzbekistan–US Dialogue on Expanded Strategic Partnership took place on October 19 in Samarkand, led by Bakhtiyor Saidov and Marco Rubio.
  • The talks covered implementation of agreements reached between the leaders of the two countries, trade and investment, energy, critical minerals, advanced technologies, education, humanitarian ties and security.
  • After the talks, the sides signed the Artemis Accords; Uzbekistan became the 77th signatory state.

First Dialogue in Samarkand

The first meeting of the Dialogue on Expanded Strategic Partnership between Uzbekistan and the United States was held on Monday, October 19, in Samarkand. The meeting was conducted by Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Saidov called the launch of this mechanism 'an important step in the consistent development of Uzbek-American relations' on his Telegram channel.

Topics of the Talks

According to Saidov, the sides exchanged views on the full and timely implementation of the agreements reached between the leaders of the two countries, the expansion of trade and investment, as well as the development of cooperation in energy, critical minerals and advanced technologies. The minister noted that special attention was paid to education, cultural and humanitarian ties, and security cooperation. He expressed confidence that the dialogue would create a foundation for strengthening mutual trust, advancing joint projects and implementing new initiatives within the strategic partnership.

State Department's Position

Following the meeting, Marco Rubio reported on X that the deepening of the strategic partnership between the US and Uzbekistan had been discussed, including cooperation in infrastructure, space, critical minerals, as well as within the C5+1 diplomatic platform. 'We are working together to improve the well-being of our countries and the entire region,' Gazeta quotes his words.

Signing of the Artemis Accords

After the bilateral talks, Bakhtiyor Saidov and Marco Rubio signed the Artemis Accords. The document defines the principles of cooperation on the use of the Moon, Mars, comets and asteroids for peaceful purposes and their exploration. According to the minister, the agreement will create new opportunities for expanding Uzbekistan's cooperation with NASA and the space agencies of other participating countries, training national personnel and transferring space technologies. Uzbekistan became the 77th state to sign the Artemis Accords.

Context of the Visit

Marco Rubio is in Samarkand to participate in the meeting of foreign ministers of the region's countries and the US in the C5+1 format. The second meeting of the American-Uzbek Business and Investment Council will also be held there.